The Coming Of The Aether: A Yogscast Fanfiction
by Kryztelli
Summary: When Rythian joins the Enderborns and Xephos becomes one with the sand, Zoey sets out on a search to find her best friend with Duncan and Teep by her side. Panda drags Toby, Sips and Sjin on a quest to find his missing gems, while Honeydew and his search party try to find Xephos before an ancient artefact is pieced together and the fallen angel rises to rule the world once more.
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! You might probably know this story from the fact that it used to be "Enderborn", but I had to fix it up a little and so I decided to delete it. I might post every 1-2 weeks, so read and enjoy! :)**

**Kryztelli**

* * *

**Prologue**

The young boy was running after the red-head, laughing and chasing her around the snow-covered garden. Another little boy with blonde hair was watching them from inside the house.

"Come on Rythian! You can do better than that!" she yelled, giggling as she watched the boy hunch over a patch of uncovered grass, panting.

"Oh come on Zoey! You know I can't run as fast as you!" said the little boy in a slight Swedish accent. He swept back his dark brown hair. Standing upright, he concentrated on the girl standing quite a while away from him. Rythian bit his lip and looked around him, staring past Zoey and into the woods, hoping this would give him the slight anxiousness he was looking for.

Zoey turned around, wondering what Rythian was looking at.

He jumped.

The girl squealed and tried to dodge out of the way, but Rythian's hand was too quick. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to the ground, rolling her about in snow. She squirmed out of his grasp and sat up, pulling him into a sitting position on the snow beside her.

"Rythian! Don't scare me like that ever again!" Zoey threw a handful of snow into his face, blinding him just for a second.

"Zoey! Stop that! It's so cold!" He wiped the snow out of his eyes, blinking. The snow had blurred his vision, and the coldness of it made his eyes burn. He quickly rubbed them, forcing the snowing to melt.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

They both sat beside each other, without a word shared between them. It wasn't an awkward silence; it was the kind of silence that felt right, the pleasant silence.

"So what do you want to play now, Zoey?"

"Do you want to play chase again? Or hide and seek?" Zoey turned to face Rythian, strands of red hair falling in her eyes.

"Let's play hide and seek." Rythian turned to face the window, noticing the blonde boy watching them. The blonde boy quickly ducked out of sight.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be hiding." Rythian ran into the thicket of trees as the red-head faced the wall, counting to fifty.

"Forty-eight…, Forty-nine..., Fifty! Ready or not, here I come!" Zoey turned to the dense forest and froze. Rythian wouldn't go there… Would he? But mum said… Oh, never mind. Zoey ran full speed into the forest, her full intent to find Rythian.

Zoey gazed into the leafy green treetops, wondering how she would ever find her best friend and her way back.

"Rythian!" she called. "Where are you?"

Suddenly there was a noise. She spun round, terrified.

"Rythian, please tell me that's you," she whispered. There was the noise, again. Zoey backed away slowly, in the direction she thought was home.

"Rythian!" she shouted again, in the hopes of finding him.

She heard the noise again, and, frightened, she turned to run – too late.

She saw black. Blinking and stepping back, she saw the monster.

It was shaking – from rage, from fear, she didn't know – and its teeth, they were terrifying. Yet the eyes mesmerised her; the beautiful, swirling purple spheres. She backed away, staring at it, her breathing quickened and she was about to scream. Zoey tripped over a tree root, sending her crashing to the ground.

Whimpering, she faced the monster, watching its purple orbs. They flashed white and it started to scream. Covering her ears, she screamed.

The monster disappeared and reappeared… in the same place? No, there was a figure…

"Rythian!" Zoey gasped.

Rythian was clawing at the monster, blood pouring from his right cheek. He screeched and tried attacking it with his fists. The awful screeching noise started again and Zoey was forced to keep her hands over her ears.

She felt the tears flow down her cheeks as Rythian was continually battered and hit by the monster, and she couldn't do anything to help. She needed courage.

Shaking, she stood up. Screaming, she charged straight into the monster. Pulling out the trusty pen she always kept in her pocket, she stabbed it straight in the stomach.

A second later, and it was gone. Zoey collapsed by Rythian on the snow-covered ground, tears trailing down her cold, pale face. She hugged him tight, pulling him into her arms. She saw a glinting blue light on the ground by her feet buried under the masses of snow. Reaching over, she dug her fingers into the snow and groped for the mysterious light.

It was a green-blue orb, beautifully sparkling in the sunlight. There were flecks of gold in it, turning into a pure gold colour mixed in to the green and blue. Zoey cradled it close to her chest, the weight of it pressing down on her arms. She crawled back to Rythian, laying his head on her lap. Blood spilled freely from the cut on his face, staining his hair and clothes. It got onto Zoey's white coat and ran over her fingers, but she didn't care about it right now. All she cared about was that he was going to be okay.


	2. Change: 1 - Broken Trust

**Here's Chapter 1 for y'all, I realised I didn't need to change anything for this one. I'm also writing this story into three parts or so. This is Part I, Change.**

**Kryztelli**

* * *

**Broken Trust**

"Rythian!" called Zoey. It was the anniversary of when Blackrock Stronghold was finally rebuilt, and they were getting a party ready. The sun was high in the sky and party decorations were strewn around the place, checked tablecloths on the picnics tables with plastic plates and cutlery placed in the middle of each. It was a sight to see, the stronghold draped with banners painted all the colours under the sky - unlike its usual black and white self. The light breeze ruffled the tips of the grass and flowers, sending pollen floating softly into the air, every so often descending slowly before the wind picked them up again and carried them off somewhere else.

Zoey was still getting ready for the party, quickly washing off the paint from her body and dressing in a casual outfit, her hair down, and her goggles perched high on her head. Teep wasn't really dressed up, but he did get a dark blue necktie for the special occasion.

They were looking everywhere for Rythian, they wanted him to get ready for the party. They've looked everywhere outside: in the mineshaft, around the mooshroom farm, in Teep's tower, even in the marsh and the graves. Zoey flitted from door to door, calling his name over and over again as Teep ran around the farm and searched the mineshaft, waving his tiny green arms in frustration.

Meanwhile, Rythian was practicing. He's been trying to control his teleportation power for a while now, and this was the final test. He was in a dark cave, alert and on the lookout for mobs. When he was sure there was not a single soul around, he relaxed, his guard still up. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his room in Blackrock Stronghold, with its basalt walls and marble floor. He felt a tingle in his fingers, travelling up his arms, causing him to shake violently. It hurt. It hurt so badly he was about to scream. But he kept going. Clenching his teeth, he gripped his pickaxe until his knuckles turned white. He had to do it. It was the final test. He saw purple.

The pain subsided suddenly, and Rythian gasped for air. He opened his eyes to find himself in his room with purple dust floating around him. He checked himself for any missing body parts, but he found himself whole and healthy.

He sighed in relief. He did it. After years of self-training, he did it. He didn't throw up, lose his legs or even leave his clothes behind. He could teleport. Coming to his senses, He realised he was covered in mud, blood and sweat. He needed a shower.

Stepping into the shower, he felt his muscles relax under the lukewarm water. He sighed in release. The sound of the shower beating down onto his exposed back muffled the noise of Zoey and Teep shouting his name, leaving him oblivious. He switched off the shower and wrapped his dripping hair in a towel, pulling on some trousers before facing the mirror.

His fingers gently stroked the wound on his right cheek, the wound he had ever since he was a child. It hadn't healed yet, after all these years. Lifting up the loose folds of skin, he peered closely at the black layer of skin under his 'human' skin. He lightly ran a finger over the 'skin', wincing. Leaving his skin, he traced a scar to the corner of his mouth – consisting of razor-sharp marble-white teeth, his jaws stretching from ear to ear. He hated it. His scars, his mouth, even his blonde streak. He was born with the normal, chocolate-brown hair, until the blonde showed up. He hissed. It reminded him of Duncan, and his 'sciences'. He tied his mask around his wrist for the moment then he reached for his shirt.

Zoey was floating close to the front doors, extremely worried. Teep was trying to comfort her, but he really wasn't doing much to help. She was over-talking, speaking too quickly she talked gibberish. Suddenly, she had an idea. The one place she didn't check.

The bathroom.

She shot upwards, twirling around, before descending into the mage tower and sprinting to the bathroom.

"Rythian! Rythian!" called Zoey, slamming the bathroom door open.

Rythian instinctively spun round and faced the door, forgetting that he wasn't wearing his mask. He covered his mouth in horror when he realised who was standing in front of him.

"Zoey? Zoey, it's not what you think - ," started Rythian, breaking down under her cold, hard stare.

"Not what I think? It's not what I think?!" shouted Zoey, tears starting to trickle down her face. "I knew. You knew I knew. Yet you never showed me what was under the mask. I know what you are now." She took in a deep breath.

"You're a monster." She ran as fast as she could, as far as she could, away from him, leaving the tears to flow.

Rythian was alone, the water from his wet hair trickling down his back. He screamed. A blood-curdling scream. He crashed around, punching walls. He had to get out of here. Zoey. His best friend. He had to go. He faced the mirror once again.

It was too much. Too much. His eyes glowed with a bright purple hue and his mouth opened into a wide, gaping hole. A high screeching noise emanated from his mouth, his eyes turning brighter and whiter every second.

Then he was gone.


	3. Change: 2 - The Search Begins

**Hey guys, I managed to write this up for you guys at least three days early,so here you go!**

**Kryztelli**

* * *

**The Search Begins**

Zoey was crying in the mineshaft, her face illuminated by the dim torches on the walls. She had already been there for a few hours, crying her eyes out. He didn't tell her. Why? She hid her face in her hands, the tears seeping through the cracks between her fingers. Her hair was a mess, and her clothes were sopping wet.

Biting her lip, she tried to stand up and get her way out of here, but her legs gave way and she fell back down again, onto the stony ground. She rubbed her eyes and sighed. She couldn't believe him! He was her best friend. Was. Another tear trickled down her cheek. She brushed the tear away, her bravery showing through.

Shakily, she stood up and made her way to the rush of water from the well. She flew through, and saw Teep waiting for her at the side of the well. He was the Best Dinosaur in the World.

Moments later, Zoey was panicking.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God! Where's Rythian?" She was running around the stronghold, out of her mind with anxiety. Teep was watching her run around, rolling his eyes.

"What Teep? What's wrong with you? Where's Rythian?" Zoey flew to Teep and shook him by the shoulders, making him slightly dizzy. Zoey suddenly stopped shaking him, inspiration glinting in her eye.

"It was my fault he ran away." Her panicky, excited mood gave way to a sullen, quiet attitude.

"I shouldn't have said that he was… that he was a monster." She sat herself on the floor, opposite Teep. After a few minutes' silence, she sprang onto her feet.

"We've got to get him back." She fled down the stairs, Teep huffing and puffing behind her. It was only when Zoey was quite a while away from the stronghold that she realised she left Teep behind. She flew back to the stronghold, arriving to see a very annoyed and disgruntled Teep.

"Oh sorry Teep," she said sheepishly. "Where do you think we should go?" She faced Teep, trying to get an idea. As a way of answer, Teep then got some dirt blocks out and placed them on the ground, seemingly in a random order.

"Teep, what are you doing? We should be figuring out where to – oh." Zoey read the words made with dirt.

"Lalna? We should go to Lalna?" Teep nodded.

"Right. I think, I think you need a flying ring." Zoey then ran into the magic room, quickly crafting a flying ring for Teep. Running outside, she tossed it to him before shooting upwards and flying to Duncan's base, Teep following close behind.

Zoey jumped off the minecart and jogged to the front gates, her fiery hair swishing from side to side as the sunlight glinted off her gold-tinted goggles.

"Lalna! Are you there?" she called. The wood-and-iron gates loomed, intimidating, over her, the large form casting a dark shadow. They were silent. She tried again.

"Lalna! Help! Open the doors! There are zombies outside!" she squealed. This time, the gates opened in a flash, with Lalna in his nanosuit and wielding his red matter sword.

"Zombies? Where?" He was looking around, ready to fight the mobs. Zoey waved at him sheepishly, strolling into the castle. Lalna had an annoyed look on his face.

"Lalna, we need help." Zoey and Teep were facing him, determined looks on their faces.

Lalna turned to face them, taking off his helmet. His blonde hair stuck up in a tuft on the back of his head, probably since he only just woke up when Zoey started calling for help.

"What do you need?"

"We need to find Rythian," said Zoey, defiantly.

Lalna was surprised.

"Rythian? Why?" Zoey hesitated.

"He disappeared," she replied, reluctant to tell him the truth.

"Right…," said Lalna. He invited them in, and bade them sit down and have some tea.

"So how did he 'disappear'?" Lalna was sitting on a red armchair, his legs crossed.

"He just did. I can't find him," said Zoey. Teep was nodding, but, being mute, he couldn't contribute to the conversation.

"So can you help us?" Both she and Teep were looking at him in forlorn, pleading looks.

Lalna paused. Help her? He wanted to help her, but not Rythian. But helping her would be helping Rythian. He made his choice.

"Oh fine." He scanned the room, thinking.

"Right guys, I think we should be well stocked up on food, weapons and other stuff that would be useful if we were to find…" Duncan winced at the name. "Rythian. I think we should start searching close to Blackrock, since it was where he went missing."

He strapped on some light green Nano-armour and fitted a helmet onto his head. Passing Zoey and Teep some armour, Zoey gratefully strapped some on as well, but Teep shoved them away from him like they were pests. Duncan shrugged at the movement, but continued to pick up some weapons and pass them around. Teep, being Teep, picked up a sniper rifle as well as a pistol for short range shooting. Zoey took a while to make her choice. She chose a bright red lightsaber-like sword, stones of ruby and lapis embedded onto its handle. It crackled with burning energy.

"I think I'll take this one, and – Ooh! Look at that!" she said. She pointed at a lime green laser gun which Duncan snatched up immediately. He quickly slipped it into his pocket.

"You can't take that…," he mused, "I made it especially for me." He looked at Zoey with a smug smile as she rolled her blue eyes at him and huffed. "We need to go soon; I think we should hurry up. The desert's at least as far as we could go before sunset," he said, looking outside through the window. The sun was still high in the sky – yet a slight hint of red could be seen in the horizon.

Duncan led them out onto the TNT launcher, a breeze blowing through Zoey's fiery red hair. "So…," said Duncan, "Which way's Blackrock again?" he asked, his blonde hair ruffling in the breeze. He managed to flatten it slightly before having it stick up again. Zoey laughed at his attempt, her giggles echoing.

"It's that way," she said, pointing towards Blackrock. Duncan nodded, and they jumped off the platform and flew to that direction.

They were flying for a few hours, seeing no sign of Rythian through the vast expanse of desert that was stretched out before them. Zoey was getting more worried by the minute, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. The sun was going down quickly, much quicker than what Duncan would have liked. He would rather be sleeping under some trees then out in the open sand, but oh well.

When the last glimmer of sunlight faded from the sky, they started to land. They had no other choice but to land in the desert, since the forest was miles away. As their feet touched the cool, soft sand, the clouds finally moved away from the moon, showing its beautiful pale white light. Duncan and Zoey were placing torches down while Teep set about building a campfire.

After the torches were set down and lit, Duncan decided to survey the area for any mobs that might have spawned in. As he scanned the desert, he often took quick looks at Zoey, a sign of the fact that he was developing unwanted "feelings" for her, unwanted because it could not possibly be dealt with since he was her best friend's mortal enemy. He glanced at Zoey again, for longer this time. Her hair seemed to glow a pale red while her beautiful baby-blue eyes shone in the darkness, illuminating her heart-shaped face and full, pink lips. She was stood facing the moon; the soft moonlight accentuating her slender figure, her leather boots emphasising her long legs. He stared at her, taking in her breathless image before he was attacked by a spider from behind.

"Argh!" he yelled as he tried to push the crawling spider off his back. He felt a thump and the spider went limp, sliding off his back and onto the sand with an arrow sticking out of its back. Duncan turned to look at Teep, muttering a quick "Thanks" before taking his place by the campfire and roasting his raw pork.

After eating their dinner, Duncan volunteered to keep watch for the night, and nobody complained. Teep lay down on the sand on the other side of the campfire, and Zoey curled up to sleep by Duncan's feet. Duncan was sat on a lump of limestone, staring at the horizon. Only when he heard the soft snoring of the girl by his feet did he decide to look at her.

She was beautiful in her sleep; he was surprised at the fact he only just realised. He pushed a strand of her hair away from her face, stroking her soft cheek in the process. He smiled sadly, looking up at the stars. After shaking his head for a moment or two, he resumed his position of watch keeper, he stared at the horizon, thinking.


	4. Change: 3 - A Drink at a Bar

**Hey guys! I'll hopefully upload the next chapter in around a maximum of a week's time, but for now here's Chapter 3!**

**Kryztelli**

* * *

**A Drink at a Bar**

Rythian woke up to stars in the sky and music coming from around the corner. He stood up, swaying. He followed the music, humming in tune. Walking over a hill, he saw the Captive Creeper. He strolled to the pub, and sharply rapped his knuckles on the door. He was, strangely, happy. He was happy. He opened the door and stepped in.

"Rythian? What are you doing here?" asked Minty, surprised. She was bent over the counter, cleaning its glossy wooden surface. Her hair was tied up in a bun and her brown flowery dress was covered by an apron. The mops and brooms were leaning by a wall easily in reach, while the chairs were neatly stacked in a corner. Her blonde hair was falling messily out of her bun and her gloved hands were scrubbing the table furiously.

"I heard the music. It sounded nice," said Rythian, grinning madly. He leaned in the doorway, a cheeky smile playing about his lips. His thumbs were hooked into the belt of his trousers, and his hair was unkempt and messy. Minty straightened her back and turned to face Rythian.

"Okay... By the way, I think you need a shirt?" she said, embarrassed to be pointing this out.

Rythian looked down at his exposed chest, embarrassed.

"Um, do you think you might have a spare shirt I can use?" he asked.

Minty nodded. "I should have. Sjin leaves me spares just in case he… you know…," she trailed off, even more uncomfortable.

"Alright then. Can I come in?" Rythian motioned to the door.

"Oh? Oh sure! Come in, come in," said Minty, sheepishly. Rythian entered the Captive Creeper while Minty went to find him a clean shirt.

"Where's Sips 'n' Sjin, anyway?" he asked, looking around.

"They're on a business trip, exporting dirt in Africa." Minty walked back into the bar, holding up a clean white shirt. "Here."

Rythian pulled it on. "Thanks."

Minty walked behind the counter and started cleaning some dirty glasses. "Hey, you want a drink?"

"Oh, I'm fine, thanks," he replied.

"Sure?"

"Sure."

"How about some rum? Beer? Ale?" she asked. She brushed a few strands of purple dipped-dyed blonde hair behind her ear and smiled.

"Hmm, do I have to pay?" he asked, only just about persuaded to get one from her smile.

"Nah, we're not open today. It's on the house."

"Right. I'll have some beer."

Minty prepared a glass of beer as he waited, inspecting his fingernails.

"So." Minty continued cleaning the dirty glasses as Rythian slowly drank his beer.

"So. Why are you here?" Rythian looked up.

"I just needed to get away, for a while." Rythian started to inspect his fingernails again. He sipped his beer and looked around the room.

"What's that on your neck?"

Rythian put his hand to his neck feeling a fine chain. He lifted the chain out of his shirt and there was a black velvet pouch hanging from it.

"I don't really know." Rythian put the pouch back under his shirt. He sipped the last drop of beer from the glass and thanked Minty for her hospitality.

"Rythian."

He turned around from the door and faced Minty.

"Stay safe."

He smiled.

"I will."

He left the Captive Creeper in high spirits. He was about to fly off in the direction of Blackrock Stronghold before he remembered. Zoey hates him now; there really was no reason to go back. He was sure that she'll be able to handle herself. And Teep, he could handle it. He sighed. He finally accepted that. He let go.

There was a glow coming from underneath his white shirt. He quickly pulled the chain out of the shirt and tried to rip it off his neck, but it stayed intact. His breathing quickened and he opened the pouch.

He was afraid. Terrified, even. He watched the glow fade and he looked into the pouch. Inside, there was a small green-blue orb. It had flecks of gold mixed into it, turning into a pure gold every now and then. He stared into it, mesmerised.

Suddenly, there was a voice.

"Rythian," said the voice.

Rythian looked around, surprised and watchful.

"Who said that?" he called.

"I'm in your head."

Rythian stood still, closing his eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I? You don't need to know who I am," replied the voice.

"Tell me."

"You will know soon."

"Why not now?" Rythian countered.

"Because you aren't ready. You will soon be going past the first stage, but you need to be ready."

He sighed in defeat. "What do I need to do?"

"Your memories. Give them up."

Rythian opened his eyes.

Zoey and Teep? Give up his memories about the Tekkit war, about his apprentice, about all they've been through? About Super Jim, Baby Jim, Ravs, Nilesy? About the Mushrooms? Mooshrooms? But there was nothing left. Not without Zoey. She hates him. So maybe he should give them up.

"I'll give them up."

He stood stark still, then, breathing heavily, stumbled towards a tree. He saw his life flash before his eyes – his memories, everything he grew up with: a young boy in Minecraftia about to become a proper mage… volunteering to test out Lalna's Dimension Hopper and discovering new types of magic in what was called the Old World… exploding into a million tiny pieces after the destruction of that world and getting put back together in the new Tekkitopia… finding Zoey and Teep and rescuing them from evil… discovering Rav's bar in the middle of a lake... and the nuke. He remembered the nuke, how Duncan said it was a "precaution". How it ended up blasting Zoey back into the water, how it took her right arm away. How everything became a little bit better after that. Sickbay managed to fix Zoey's arm, and they set up camp.

They did more things, many more things, before Zoey became homesick. She missed Blackrock, he could tell. She talked about it in her sleep, she made tiny references to it and she always said, "I wish things didn't have to change, Rythian." So he rebuilt it. Rebuilt everything, everything up to the smallest detail, somewhere almost exactly where Blackrock had been. Almost. When he showed Zoey, he remembered her crying. Crying on his shoulder, saying how happy she was. Then she kissed him. It was on the cheek, nothing more, but it meant more. To him at least. Zoey just ran in and inspected everything, and was amazed and felt truly loved when she saw how carefully he made the Mushrooms and Barry's golden crown. She was shocked when she saw all the computers. Rythian did science? Just for her? She was so happy she could have melted, so she did. She melted into his arms, hugging him and telling him how much he loved him just for doing this, all of it, for her.

He remembered this, all of this and was about to change his mind before the purple light took it away. He became dizzy, confused, lost - he had no idea where he was. He could see trees, stars, a moon; his head started to hurt and a second later, he fell to the ground, unconscious. The purple wisps floated towards his centre, up to a pouch hung on his neck. In that pouch, an ender pearl pulsed, purple.


	5. Change: 4 - Flying Rings

**Hey guys, sorry about not posting for a really long time, I had writer's block as well as forgotten about this :/ I'm going to continue as soon as I can, promise!**

**Kryztelli**

* * *

**Flying Rings**

Lalna woke up to the sun and its beautiful rays of light illuminating the yellow desert sand all around him. Lifting himself onto his elbows, he gazed blearily at the sky then looked around him. The sky was only turning from a navy blue to a brilliant red, the sun rimmed with orange. He had almost completely forgotten where he was. He realised a moment later that he had been sleeping beside Zoey after he dozed off the rock. Quickly shuffling in the opposite direction, Lalna was worried about how Zoey would react if she knew he was there. Close enough to put his arms around her; close enough to hold her in her sleep. He pushed a stray red hair behind her ear, letting him see her face more clearly. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep. Lalna smiled.

He shivered. As he turned to face the horizon, he rubbed his ring finger with his thumb, expecting to feel the cold metal of the flying ring. He didn't. In shock, he brought his hand up to his face. It wasn't on his finger. He dug around in the sand, repeatedly checked his inventory and gasped in fear. All that time he took into making his most preferred way of travel, all that time wasted. He didn't even have the supplies he needed to make another one. He slumped onto the rock, his head in his hands.

Suddenly, he remembered the jetpacks he brought along just in case. He quickly rummaged through his inventory and was immensely relieved that they were still there. However, there were only two. He looked at Zoey, then at Teep, and decided to make sure they had their rings before making any unneeded assumptions. After thoroughly checking their inventories with no flying ring in sight, Lalna sighed. He's got to make the choice now, though it would be obvious who he chose and why.

Lalna slipped on a jetpack and quietly shook Zoey awake. She opened her eyes blearily and muttered, "I'm tired, let me sleep." Lalna sighed, manoeuvring her arms into the extra jetpack.

"We've got to go, there's not much time," said Lalna. He looked at the horizon and saw that the sky was turning from red to light blue. As he stood up and made sure every piece of his equipment wasn't missing, he pulled Zoey up, forcing her to fly with him. Zoey was too tired and dazed to notice that it was only her and Lalna, while Teep continued to sleep on the vast desert below.

Teep sat up in the sand, the glare from the sun high above forcing him to shade his eyes. However, since his arms were somewhat too short to allow him to look straight while shading his eyes, he decided not to. He squinted, his eyes looking around the area before confirming that both Zoey and Lalna were not in the desert with him. There had been almost completely no trace of them apart from the indents they made in the sand from where they slept the night before.

"Where was Zoey and Lalna?" he thought, "They wouldn't leave me, would they?" He was sure that they'd come back for him with water and more provisions. Sadly, they did leave and it didn't really register in his brain that they left him for good until one hour later.

Teep frowned. He could look in front of him just fine now the sun wasn't in his eyes. After a quick drink of water from a flask he kept by his hip, Teep decided to walk northwards, or the general direction that was the north. He walked for about 4 miles or so before coming to a halt. There was a snow biome to his right, a jungle biome to his left, and a plains biome in the middle. "Which one would Zoey choose?" he asked himself, keeping Lalna out of the question since he had completely no care for the scientist. Finding Zoey was one of his top priorities at this exact moment.

In the end, he decided to turn left and enter the jungle biome, with its tall trees, humid atmosphere and cocoa beans. When he wandered into the jungle, Teep collected any stray cocoa beans he found hanging low from the trees, making sure that he had something to give to Zoey once he found her. There were also random bits and bobs of purple blocks scattered around the place.

Walking deeper into the jungle, a strange aroma wafted itself up his nose. Sniffing it, Teep became extremely curious to what it actually was. It smelt of some sort of spiciness, sort of like curry. He wandered closer to that smell, straying from a clear path of cobblestone on the ground. It wasn't long before he saw a heaped plate of curry hanging from a tree. It was red and in complete contrast to the green and brown forest it was in. Teep was extremely confused.

"Wait, what?" he muttered. His voice was hoarse from the lack of use all these years. He grabbed his throat in surprise. He shouldn't have been able to speak. Exiled from the village he used to live in long ago, he was forced to leave the invisible bubble that allowed them to speak. This rendered him mute to everyone outside the area the bubble covered. He was still trying to register that he was definitely in that specific bubble when suddenly there was a sharp whizz, a snap and the sting of a blow dart entering his left ankle. Teep yowled in pain and clutched his ankle in pain, falling backwards onto the ground. Turning his head around to look at his ankle, the pain turned out to be from a tranquilliser dart. He could recognise that red band anywhere, since he used it often when they were hunting. Trying to keep his eyes open as the dart's sedative seeped into his bloodstream, he could make out some blurred figures in the background before he slumped into the mud, unconscious.


	6. Change: 5 - Pipes and Sand

**Um... Hi. Sorry about not posting for a while, I was working pretty hard on this and I guess I wasn't sure that it was that good. Warning to those who are squirmish: DO NOT CONTINUE AFTER THE SENTENCE "Xephos didn't notice the quiet sound of an insect burrowing it's way through the sand towards him." I don't want any hates for this :/**

**Anyway, I hope you don't have much of a nightmare after reading this!**

**Kryztelli**

* * *

**Pipes and Sand**

Earlier that day, sometime in the morning, Xephos and Honeydew were sitting outside on the grass, lounging in the sun. After emerging from the horizon only a couple of hours ago, the sun was bright and the sky was blue. The two men had been working hard to fix the machines; however, without Lalna's technological expertise they weren't able to do much before needing a rest.

"Honeydew, have you seen Lalna?" Xephos was rebuilding the noticeboard – apparently it was still too messy for his liking. He placed blocks, broke blocks, and did his best to remember what was on each sign before breaking them and forgetting, going through a sort of mini-rage over each forgotten sign. Honeydew was messing around with a newly-born pig.

"Actually, no, I don't think so. He said he would come round at around, what, earlier this morning? It looks like lunch would come 'round soon." Honeydew looked up at the sky, with the sun still quite a while a way off centre. He had to shield his eyes from the glare of light, one hand patting the pig, the other up over his eyes.

"Honeydew! How can it be nearly lunchtime when we haven't even had breakfast yet?" Xephos shouted. He knew his friend was only trying to help, but he was being very irritating. It was probably because they were low on food since the machines were broken. Honeydew gaped at him, a mock expression of offence plastered on his face.

"All right Xephos! No need to be such a grump!" Honeydew shouted in reply. He walked away with the pig in a huff. Xephos groaned, exasperated, sulking off in the other direction. He slouched towards the Jaffa Factory, too hungry to walk properly.

Honeydew sat behind the dormitories, patting the pig on the head. "Good pigoo. Cute pigoo," he muttered. Why was Xephos so cranky? He can be cranky, but not like this. He stroked the pig, deep in thought. After his mind drifted into the vast expanse of psychological space, Honeydew subconsciously scratched the pig's chin, making it squeal in delight. He smiled, leaning back against the wooden walls of the dormitories.

Meanwhile, Xephos kicked one of the machines: groaning in pain as his toes collided with the hard outer shell of stiff metal. He tried everything – checking the power, switching wires – and he still couldn't get the pipes working. His face twisted into an expression of annoyance and grim irritation as he stalked off, glowering at the white marble floor. As he climbed down the ladder leading to the basement, there were chickens hopping around and pecking at the marble incessantly for invisible specks of food and dust. They were half-starved, trapped here with no way out in their knowledge. They squawked and chirped at him, jabbing at his shoes with their beaks once they touched the ground.

Xephos sighed, pulling out one of the last Jaffa cakes made in the factory from his pockets – before the factory broke down, of course. The chickens crowded around him as he took a seat on a stray black of marble: they were desperate for a crumb of food. One famished-looking chick caught Xephos' eye. It was hobbling around, constantly being pushed out of the ring of chickens around Xephos. He felt bad for it, and threw the few remaining bits of Jaffa cake towards the little guy who in turn snapped it up happily. He then stood up and stretched, making his way outside to look for Honeydew.

Climbing back out of the basement, still hungry, Xephos gasped in shock when a sudden massive downpour of sand cascaded over him. The weight of the sand forced him to fall onto his back, spluttering with a disgusting dry taste filling his mouth. Xephos shut his eyes as the sand continued its downpour over him, starting to push him over and over, tumbling in the hot, dry dust. The unexpected roaring of wind against his ears drowned out all possible noise he could have heard, so it was the only noise Xephos could hear as he was trapped in the darkness behind his eyelids.

Fear wrapped its stinging tendrils around his chest, squeezing the breath out of his lungs. Xephos struggled to breathe, the heat and darkness crushing him, scaring him, knocking the breath out of his lungs in one swift movement. He was tired. He was confused. He curled up in the spinning vortex of sand, letting the torrential sandstorm take it where it may.

It stopped. The wind was still there, the sand, the darkness, but he could feel that he was lying down on his stomach on sand. In empty darkness, all on his own. However, he didn't have the strength to get up. His legs ached, his arms ached. His skin itched and the tingling heat spread like fire. Soon enough, he was forced to reached down and scratch his right ankle, aware of the dangers this place could possess.

Xephos didn't notice the quiet sound of an insect burrowing it's way through the sand towards him. It was a minute little thing, easily mistaken for a scarab beetle with it's brilliantly coloured shell. Crawling with purpose, it wandered aimlessly across the sand, ending up next to the ankle of Xephos' right foot. That was when it struck. Sharp pincers emerged and dug into skin, burying itself into his tender flesh. Xephos gasped as pain shot through his right foot. The creature climbed into the wound it made, separating the layers of Xephos' skin in order to make room for it to crawl in further. Xephos cried out at the pain of his skin tearing away from his muscles, feeling something inside him, crawling up his leg. Forgetting about his itchy ankle, he sat up, a hand reaching down to staunch the blood flow, the other trying to kill the creature beneath his skin. The beetle fought it's way forward, eating through tissue and muscle.

Xephos was in excruciating pain, each blow he tried to land on the monster of an insect affecting not only the insect but him as well. It crawled through his body, climbing up his spine. Xephos was screaming, in fear, in pain. It was too late for him now.

Reaching the skull, the insect scratched a small hole into the bone, all the while causing Xephos unbearable pain, tears streaming from his eyes. As it injected it's poison into his brain, the spaceman's eyes were shut tight, losing all consciousness apart from his instinct and the will to scream.


	7. Change: 6 - Stranger Still

**Hey guys, sorry about the really late chapter, been having a bit of a writer's block here :/ Anyway, now cuz of school and writer's block, I might post around every 2/3 weeks, I'm not sure. Also, should I be calling Martyn "Inthelittlewood" or "Martyn"? Same for Toby with "Sototallytoby" and "Toby". The reason I'm asking this is because I've been using the character names lately (Like "Xephos" instead of "Lewis") and I'm not sure about them two. Please tell me what you think I should do in a review please! Thanks in advance :3**

**Kryztelli**

* * *

**Stranger Still**

In the late morning, Rythian woke up to the harsh bright sunlight behind his eyelids. Rubbing his eyes to the morning light, he a sat up; his back ached from what he assumed was last night's uncomfortable sleep on the trunk of an oak tree. He looked around in confusion at the unfamiliar landscape he was in.

Who was he? Where was he? Rythian wondered to himself. He sat there - dazed, thoughtful and most of all, vulnerable - trying to remember. The sun climbed the horizon as Rythian looked around him, trying to figure out where he was and more importantly - what he was going to do.

It was clear that he was in a forest of birch and oak trees, not too dense yet dense enough to stop him from seeing beyond the edges of the place. It was sunny; there was the odd puffy cloud here and there but the sky was generally clear and blue with no rain in sight. Flowers lined the bright green grass, decorating the otherwise quite uninteresting greenery.

An obvious point would be that his inventory was empty. As he stretched and yawned, he rubbed his back and got to his feet. The faint sorting of pigs could be heard not too far away from where he was. His stomach rumbled.

After an hour of unsuccessfully chasing pigs, Rythian managed to corner one in a thicket of low-lying trees. He caught the squealing pig and in one swift blow, killed it. Ripping apart the meat of the innocent animal, Rythian chewed on the raw pork, ignoring the taste of the metallic blood it was covered in. Bit by bit he was getting fuller, nourished by each mouthful of the disgusting substance. He let the blood run through his fingers, a continuous stream of red that ended at his elbows and dripped onto the grass at his feet.

Finally satisfying his hunger, Rythian got up and looked for a stream to wash the blood off his hands. He could hear rustling among the treetops, yet didn't think much of it until he reached the stream, where he did his best to wash his stained white shirt after taking a drink of the cool, clear water. It was stained red by the blood of the slaughtered pig, swirls of dark red and brown darkening the beautiful stream. Was this a sign? He stared at his face in the water, running a hand through his messy brown hair. That was when he saw her.

There was a girl crouching on a branch, up in the treetops. Rythian whirled around, scanning through the leafy trees for the girl he saw earlier. From the glimpse he had of her, he saw she wore a red mask, yet the rest of her face was hidden behind a green hood. Only the glow of two hazel-blue eyes could be seen in the darkness that masked her face. There was a rustle of leaves and Rythian spun around again, finding the strange girl facing him on the other side of the stream. He stared at her for a moment, not daring to move.

His hand twitched.

Fast as lightning, the girl turned and fled through the trees, her green cape flying in the breeze. Rythian stumbled forwards, trudging through the stream and doing his best to keep up with the light-footed stranger.

She was a flicker of green - hard to see, a dark blur among the trees. While keeping an eye on her, Rythian used his hands to guide him through the thicket of trees, being careful not to get his feet caught on tree roots.

He stumbled into a clearing, hunched over, trying to catch his breath with his hands on his knees. Feeling the cold blade of a sabre knife against his unprotected neck, his breathing slowed, relaxing his muscles and letting the blade guide him to where it wanted.

"Who are you and why were you following me?" hissed a voice. Rythian tried to crane his head back to see who his attacker was, yet the knife pressed even deeper into his neck, threatening to break into his flesh. He felt a cold hand around his neck holding it fast. It had a strong grip, yet the skin was soft and the fingers were slender, a vice-like grip from the unpredictable.

"I don't know who I am," said Rythian, and the hand on his neck gripped his hair, pulling his head back further and baring his pale neck.

"Then why were you following me?" she asked, adjusting her grip on the knife. The steel blade was now pressed firmly against his neck, ready to draw blood at a moment's notice. The steady, yet harsh breathing of his captor could be felt behind his right ear, tense and serious.

"You were the one following me," said Rythian. He was stock still, though close to turning the tables; however, he was just waiting for the right moment to do so.

"A possible threat." As the girl's grip on his hair slackened, she forced him to stand with his back against the thick trunk of an oak tree - the knife pressed against his skin all the while. She maneuvered herself to she could clearly see his features while making sure her face was hidden under the shadows of her hood.

"Do you have a name?" she asked suspiciously.

Rythian shook his head. "I don't remember," he muttered, aware of the knife pressing harder against his flesh. He gulped.

"Do you remember anything? Anything at all?" Her tone of voice was somewhat suspicious: trying to hide some kind of hopefulness with the aggressiveness of a killer. A hint of fear could be heard behind all this, a curious expression which aroused Rythian's curiosity.

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head, trying to get a look of the girl yet getting nothing but a glimpse of her hood.

The girl withdrew her knife from Rythian's neck, albeit too quickly, leaving a small cut on his throat. She slipped it into its sheath as Rythain's hand flew to his neck, pressing against the mark to check for any blood. By the time he realised it was too small a cut to bleed, the girl had stepped back into the darkness, too shrouded by the shadows to be seen properly.

"You better follow me," she said, turning around to head further into the forest.

Rythian took a step back. "I'm not going anywhere, not until you tell me who you are and why you nearly tried to kill me." He crossed his arms defiantly.

The girl sighed, pulling down her hood. Her hair fell onto her shoulders; wavy strands of reddish-brown with a brighter red at the ends. Hazel-blue eyes sparkled dimly in the shadowed light, sharp and stern. She was familiar… but how?

"First of all, I didn't want to kill you and second-" she started, yet there was a loud rumble rocking the ground and the sound of a hiss was heard all around them.

Her eyes widened, and she reached forward to grab his hand.

"Run."


End file.
